As I mentioned in my resolutions post a few weeks ago, my number one goal is to really get stuck into my writing course. I have until the end of this year to complete it, and six months into it I have only managed to hand in a pathetic five assignments! However, I have finally bumped it up the ol’ priority totem pole, and in the process I’m discovering a new issue that I’ve never quite experienced before.
It’s like Writer’s Block, but…not?
Something is Fishy
Writer’s Block is probably nothing new to 99% of you reading, especially if you’re a blogger. For me, it usually manifests itself as a crippling inability to come up with a half decent topic to talk about, and my utter failure to even make it to day nine of the Blaugust Challenge last year is a perfect demonstration of that.
With my class, topics are supplied for me, so I thought it would be smooth sailing. However, my lecturer has done a fantastic job of creating real-world briefs that have really pushed me out of my comfort zone.
For example, my latest assignment involves writing two 400 word magazine articles with the purpose of telling readers about how healthy and easy to cook fresh fish is. We have had some fish marketing material supplied to us, but the challenging part has been writing to appeal to the two very distinct target audiences these articles have — men aged between 20-40 and people over 50.
Earlier today, while I was working on the second article for the over 50’s magazine, I was just staring at the screen for what felt like hours with zero inspiration. All of the information was there, I just needed to tweak it so that it matched my angle better, and put together an appropriate introduction and conclusion for it. It took me most of the afternoon to achieve it, and I’m still not even 100% convinced it’s any good.
This is the third weekend that I have been working on this assignment, and I’m happy to say that they are both written and are now just sitting in ‘quarantine’ for me to edit and submit for marking when I wake up tomorrow.
Still, it bothers me just how much time it took to eke out those meagre 800 words. Pretty sure I would get fired for taking that long in the real world!
Elbow Grease
The thing that really has me scratching my head doesn’t have anything to do with the course at all, it’s more what is happening here on my blog. While I was staring at my screen trying to think about how to introduce my riveting fish propaganda to someone over 50, all I wanted to do was come over here and write about how challenging it was to finish. Old Neri could not write a single thing ever when she had a case of the Writer’s Block!
Hopefully this is a sign that I’m evolving as a writer and not focusing so much on things being absolutely perfect. I know that what you’re reading right now is not meeting the requirements of what makes a successful blog post, and there’s a damned good chance that my magazine articles probably won’t meet requirements either, but they have been written, and that’s a massive win when you’re in a writing funk.
So today, even though it was incredibly painful and I was getting so angry at myself for not having the ‘perfect’ article, I sat in my chair and I did not do anything else until they were done. Sure, I might be horrified at the prospect that I might fail this assessment, but I will 100% never pass if I never try in the first place. And it seems my reward for sticking it out is a renewed sense of passion for blogging. Hooray!
It’s not the end of the world if I write a shitty blog post or submit a bad assignment. I can only grow from the experience.
@nerisanda Words are your weapon. Don’t be scared of them, wield them with confidence and power. They will make you better.
— Alt Oddity (@AlternativeChat) January 11, 2016
How do you overcome Writer’s Block when it strikes?
The post Neri vs. The Fish For Over 50’s Article appeared first on Mama Needs Mana.
